Bottle release mechanism



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 111, 1948. w. 1. REILLY BOTTLE RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 20, 1947 y 1948. W.' a. REILLY BOTTLE RELEASE MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 20, 1947 May 11, 1948. w. l. REILLY BOTTLE RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 20, 1947 3 Sheets-Shee t 5 I li @50 1Q g z yafi Patented May 11, 1948 ED .S'E'TSE TENT orr c BOTTLE RELEASE MECHANISM Application October 20, 1947, Serial No. 780,942

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a bottle dispensing mechanism, and the principal object of the invention is to provide means for successively discharging bottles, arranged in stacks in which the bottles are disposed substantially horizontally, when the mechanism is operated.

i-ieretofore oppositely rotated star wheels have been utilized, arranged at each end of the bottoms of the stacks for successively dispensing the lowermost bottle, but star wheels are so shaped that as the lowermost bottle is being lowered into the discharge chute columns of superimposed bottles would not be positively supported at a substantially constant level, owing to the limitations of the shape of the star wheels, and therefore the columns of bottles in the stacks would be subjected to undue jarring, often resulting in breakage of the bottles or in jamming of the dispensing mechanism.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a construction utilizing pairs of trigger fingers operated by individual cam means disposed at each end of the stacks, one set of trigger fingers being adapted to support the lowermost bottles, while being lowered into the discharge chute, and the other set of fingers being adapted to support at substantially constant level thecolumns of superimposed bottles just prior to and during the discharge of the lowermost bottles, thereby resulting in minimum jarring or jolting of the columns of bottles, and less injury or breakage to the bottles in the stacks; also resulting in smooth operation of the dispensing mechanism.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof, to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a column of bottles arranged in a stack,

with my novel dispensing mechanism applied to the lower end of the stack.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the dispensing mechanism, with the stack removed.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the dispensing mechanism.

In Fig. 1, the reference numeral A indicates a vertical stack in a-bottle refrigerating and dispensing mechanism, or other mechanism well known in the art, a plurality of bottles B, indicated in dotted lines, disposed substantially hori- D zontally in the stack with the caps 13' at one end thereof, the lower bottle 13 of the stack being adapted to be dispensed upon the well-known discharge chute (not shown) on each operation of the mechanism in well known manner such as upon each insertion of a coin in the coin slot (not shown) of the machine, or upon each manipulation of the actuating shaft of the machine which may be either manually or power operated.

At the lower ends walls of stack A are outturned flanges A (Fig. 1) and at the lower ends of the sides of stack A are spaced parallel plates l having inturned flanges la at their upper ends and inturned flanges to at their lower ends, flanges Ia being secured by spot welding or the like to the outturned flanges A of stack A. Plates l are maintained separated a distance somewhat greater than the width'of the stack A so that the bottles B in the stack may pass therebetween. Angle bars lc connect the flanges lb of plates 1 and are disposed beyond the ends of stack A.

J ournaled in the plates l-l adjacent one end thereof'is a cam shaft 2 carrying a worm gear 3, while adjacent the other end of plates |-l is a cam shaft 4 carrying a worm gear 5 which is pitched in an opposite direction from the worm gear 3, for the purpose hereinafter described. Above worm gears 3 and '5 is a drive shaft 6 journaled in brackets I and 8 on one of the plates I, shaft '6 carrying a worm 9 meshing with the worm gear '3 and also carrying an oppositely pitched worm I0 meshing with the worm gear 5, whereby as the shaft 6 is rotated,the shafts t and 2 will be rotated at the same speed but in opposite directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. l for the purpose hereinafter described Shaft 6 is rotated by manual or automatic control means of the machine the samebeing usually actuated upon the deposit of a coin in the coin slot of the-machine. As shown, shaft 4 is disposed at a lower elevation than the shaft 2, in order that the bottles B in the stack A may be supported in substantially horizontal position therein, the bases of the bottles being of greater diameter than the caps B thereof; and thus the shaft 6 isshown as disposed at an inclination to the horizontal in Fig. 1.

The inturned flanges la and lb of plates i--! are sufliciently separated to permit a bottle B to pass therethrough, but in order to properly guide the bottles between the plates plates H are provided having upper and lower outturned flanges Ha and Nb received between the flanges la and lbof plates |--l adjacent the shaft 4, the plates H terminating flush with the outer ends of the flanges Ialb of the plates I for guiding the bases of the bottles B while being discharged between the plates l-|. Adjacent the opposite end of stack A are guide plates l2 which are vertically disposed and spaced apart a distance suificient to permit the necks of the bottles to pass downwardly therebetween, the upper portionsoif the plates [2 being flanged outwardly as at l2a (Fig. 3), the upper ends of the flange portions in having outturned flanges 1212 (Fig. 1) underlying the inturned flanges Id of the-plates l|, and the lower ends of the guide plates 12 having outturned flanges 12c overlying the inturned flanges lb of the plates ll. Thus;

in passing between the plates ll, the bottles B being dispensed will be prevented from shifting laterally so as to become jammedupon the inturned flanges lb of the plates l-I; I

At each end of the stack A, forming a continuation of the end walls'thereof, are vertically disposed plates l3 (Fig. -1 fitting between the plates I-I, said plates [3 having flanges i3a at their upper ends underlying the flanges la of plates I, said flanges l3a being secured to the flanges In by spot welding or in any'otlier desired manner. Plates 13 extend downwardly between the plates 1 for a distance approximating half of the height of the plates 1 L Journaled between the plates l'l; between shaft 4 and the adjacent plate [3; are aligned shaft sections l4 l4'having enlarged heads [4a at their outer ends contacting the outer faces of plates ll the inner ends ofthe shaft sections 14a carrying spaced parallel lowering fingers l5, connected together by a plate I5a, said fingers l5 being adapted'in the position shown in Fig-1 to receive therebetween the base ofthe lowermost bottle B in stack-.A- and" to center the bottle 3 between the plates The lowering fingers l5 are-rigidly secured to their respective shaft sections [4 so asto form a unit causing both fingers- I5 to be raised and lowered-simultaneously; the fingers being adapted. to extend through slots in thelower end of the adjacent plate I 3-so that thesame may pivot vertically between the plates 'l-l;

Journaled in=the lowering fingers l5 below the shaft I 4is'ashaft l6 carrying a-roller ll (Fig; 1) directly engaging a earn [8 fixedly mounted on the shaft 4, cam l8- controlling byreason of the contour thereof, the raising and lowering of'the fingers IS, the cam -|-8 rotating in the direction of the arrow (Fig. l);

At theopposite endpi stack- A- is a single cam finger i9 disposed midway between the guides l2- andoperable for raising and lowering through a slot in the lower end of the adjacent plate i3, finger I9 being journaled on aligned shaft sections havingheads 20a engaging the outer faces' of the plates Finger i9 iscarried by a plate 2| having itsendsfixedly secured tothe inner ends of the shaft sections 20, whereby the finger l9 and the" shaft sections 20 rotate as a unit; Plate 2] carries a shaft 22 disposed below the'-'shaft sections '20; carrying a: roller 23 engaging a cam '24 similar but-opposite to thebamd'fl and rotating in the opposite: direction than" the cam [8;1. e., in'the direction of the arrow'inFig. 1, cam 24 being fixedly mounted upon the sh-aft 2.

In the position of the fingers l'fi'and' is shown in pig. 1, thebottomnbottle' B in the stack- A is beingsupported therebybetwe'en'theplates |l and fingers i5 and i9 are also supporting the superimposed bottles'in the stack. *AS the shafts behind their respective plates 18a: and 24x of the said cams, at which time the outerends'of the cam fingers l5 and i9 will be lowered to such point that they will be retracted l3, thereby permitting the lowermost bottle B to drop between the {plates I-l' onto the discharge chute of the machine. After passing the cam points [8x and 24x the camsabruptly and progressively increase in radiusto normal diameter, thereby quickly restoring the fingers l5 and H] to their uppermost positionsshown in Fig. 1, thus supporting the then-lowermostbo'ttieBpfstack A;

In" order to*protect' the stack ofbottles above the one being discharged from undue jolting, a second set of holding fingers is provided which operate substantiallyalternately with the fingers l5 and I9. shown in Fig. l, a shaft 25 is journaled between the plates |'l above the shaft; [4- and directly behind the adjacent plate i3; said'sh'aft 25' having an arm-2 6 thereon and carrying'a-pair'of spaced fingers 21 disposed inside the pair of fingers [5; said fingers 2! also operating inslot's in'the'ad'jacent plate I3. Arm ZG carrles at its inner end a; roller 28* directly engaging a cam 29-, also" mounted on shaft 4 (Fig. l), th'ecam' 2 9 being so shaped that when the fingers l5'---l-5 are in their uppermost position; shown in Fig; l the fingers 21-2-1 Willbe in their depressed p'ositionshownin Fig. i. During the rotation: of the cam 29" in the direction ofthe-arrow (-Fig; lithe fingers 21-21 will be maintained in depressed position while the fingers li liare' commencing to lower, but before the fingers *I 5"l5 reach their lowermost or discharge position i. e., reachthe point law of cam I 8; the cam 29 will quickly thrust the fingers 21*2'! into raised position and thereby engage the-nextldwermost bottleB in stack A, thus supporting the-base'endof 'the-column of bottles in the stack prior to discharge of the lowermost bottle, and until; the; fingers l5 have been reelevat'ed into their uppermost position shown in Fi 1.

Similarly, the opposite or cap end of the column of'bottlesis supportedby fingers 30 similar to the fingers 21, said fingers 30- being mounted: upon a' shaft 3"ljournaled in the plates ll behind the adjacent platel3; the fingers 30 being disposed at opposite sides of the finger I 9 and operatingthrough slots in the plat'e l3. Shaft 31 carries an" arm 32' provided witha roller 33 engaging a cam 34 similar but opposite to the cam- 29, but beingmounted on shaft 2 same rotates in'the'opposite direction; Fingers?! and 3B are raised and" lowered simultaneously, and are lifted by their respectivecan s' Hand 34 to support thecolumn of bottles; above the lowermost bottle being discharged, prior to discharge of the lowermost bottle, the fingers 21 and 30 being progressively retracted as thefingers l5 and J's-are being raised 'by their respective cams It and ztl -intonorm'ai raised position; 7

By the above arrangement, the cams i5- and Hr progressively lower the lowermost bottle B in the-stacks; but before the lowermost bottle is discharged, the fingers 21 and 30 will be simultaneously and. quickly operated by the cams 29 and 34 to engage the next lowermost bottle in the stack, prior to discharge of the lowermost bottle, and thereby support the column of bottles during discharge, .the fingers 2'! and 30 being lowered after the fingers l5 and I9 have been re-elevated into contact with the then lowermost bottle previously supported by the fingers 2! and The above arrangement is simple in construction and operation, and results in a minimum jarring and breakage of bottle in the stacks, also results in smooth and quiet operation of the dispensing mechanism.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A bottle dispensing mechanism for successively discharging bottles arranged horizontally in superimposed relation in a stack, comprising a pair of fingers at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the lowermost bottle in the stack; means for simultaneously raising and lowering the fingers, said fingers when lowered permitting the lowermost bottleto discharge through the stack; a second pair of fingers at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the next to lowermost'bottle in the stack; means for simultaneously raising and lowering the second pair of fingers, said second pair of fingers when lowered permitting the latter bottle to gravitate downwardly therepast; said means for raising and lowering the pairs of fingers causing the second pair of fingers to be raised to support the next to lowermost bottle when the said bottle comes opposite the said fingers in the stack and while the first pair of fingers is lowering the lowermost bottle to discharge position, and causing the first set of fingers to be again raised to support the bottle which is then supported by the second pair of fingers before the said second pair of fingers is lowered.

2. In mechanism as set forth in claim 1, said fingers which support the base ends of the bottles being disposed at a lower level than the other fingers whereby the bottles in the stack will be disposed substantially horizontally.

3. A bottle dispensing mechanism for successively discharging bottles arranged horizontally in superimposed relation in a stack, comprising a pair of cam shafts journaled at opposite ends of the stack respectively beyond the bottle passage therethrough; means for simultaneously rotating the shafts in opposite directions and at the same speed; a pair of fingers at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the lowermost bottle in the stack; a pair of cams mounted on the cam shafts respectively and adapted to simultaneously raise and lower the fingers, said fingers when lowered permitting the lowermost bottle to discharge through the stack; a second pair of fingers at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the next to lowermost bottle in the stack; a second pair of cams mounted on the cam shafts respectively for simultaneously raising and lowering the second pair of fingers, said second pair of fingers when lowered permitting the latter bottle to gravitate downwardly therepast; said pairs of cams being so shaped that the second pair offingers will be.

raised to support the next to lowermost bottle when the said bottle comes opposite the said fingers inthe stack and while the first pair of fingers is lowering the lowermost bottle to discharge position, and the first set of fingers will be again raised to support the bottlewhich is then supported by the second pair of fingers before the said second pair of fingers is lowered.

4. In mechanism as set forth in claim 3, said fingers each carrying arms provided with rollers engaging the contours of the cams; and the cam shaft for the fingers which support the base ends of the bottles being disposed at a lower level than the other cam shaft whereby the bottles in the stack will always be disposed substantially horizontally.

5. In mechanism as set forth in claim 4, said cam shafts having oppositely pitched worm gears thereon; and said rotating means comprising an inclined shaft journaled in the frame adjacent the worm gears and having oppositely pitched worms thereon engaging the respective worm gears. Y Y

6. A bottle dispensing mechanism for successively discharging bottles arranged'horizontally in superimposed relation in a vertical stack, comprising an open frame adapted to" be secured to the lower end of the stack and through which the bottles are discharged; 2. pair of fingers pivoted on the frame at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the lowermost bottle in the frame; means for simultaneously raising and lowering the fingers, said fingers when lowered permitting the lowermost bottle to discharge through the frame; a second pair of fingers pivoted on the frame at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the next to lowermost bottle in the frame; means for simultaneously raising and lowering the second pair of fingers, said second pair of fingers when lowered permitting the latter bottle to gravitate downwardly therepast; said means for raising and lowering the the second pair of fingers to be raised to support the next to lowermost bottle when the said bottle comes opposite the said fingers in the frame and while the first pair of fingers is lowering the lowermost bottle to discharge position, and causing the first set of fingers to be again raised to support the bottle which is then supported by the second pair of fingers before the said second pair of fingers is lowered.

7. In mechanism as set forth in claim 6, said frame comprising a pair of parallel plates; cross members connecting the lower ends of the plates beyond the ends of the stack; cross plates connecting the upper ends of the plates and forming continuations of the ends of the stack, said cross plates extending downwardly below the pairs of fingers and having their lower ends slotted to receive the pairs of fingers.

8. In mechanism as set forth in claim '7, a pair of spaced guides adjacent one cross plate carried by the frame plates and receiving therebetween the bases of the bottles; and a second pair of spaced guides adjacent the other cross plate carried by the frame plates and receiving therebetween the necks of the bottles.

9. In mechanism as set forth in claim 6, said fingers which support the base ends of the bottles being disposed at a lower level than the other fingers whereby the bottles in the stack and frame will always be disposed substantially horizontally. I

pairs of fingers causing .sively discharging bottles arranged horizontally in superimposed relation in a vertical stack;com- 1 prising an open frame adapted to be secured to of the stach an'd through the the lower end bottles are discharged; a pair of cam shafts journ'aled in the frame beyond the ends of the stack respectively; means forsimultaneously rotating the shafts in opposite directionsandat the same speed; a pair of fingers pivoted on the frame at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside of the lowermost bottle in the frame a pair of cams mounted on the cam shafts respectively and adapted to simultaneously raise andl'ower the fingers, said fingers when lowered permitting the lowermost bottle to discharge tl-ii-"ough the frame; a second pair of fingers pivoted on the frame at the ends of the stack respectively adapted when raised to engage the underside or the next to lowermost bottle in the frame; a second pair of cams mounted on the cam shafts respectively for simultaneously raising and lowering'the second pair of fingers, said second pair of fingers when loweredpermitting' the latter bottle togravitate downwardly therepast; said pairs of cams being so shaped that the second pair of fingers will be raisedto support the next to lower- "most bottle when the said bottle comes opposite the said fingers in the frame and while the first pair of fingers is lowering the lowermost bottle to discharge position, and the'first' set of fingers will be again raised to support the bottle which is then 8 supported by the second pair of fingers before of fingers and having their lower ends slotted to receive-the pairs of fingers.

12. Inmechanism' as set forthiin claim 11, a pair of spaced guides in the frame adjacent one cross plate carried by the flanges and receiving therebetween the bases of the bottles; and a second pair of spaced guides in the frame adjacent the other cross plate carried by the flanges and receiving therebetween the necks of the bottles.

13. In mechanism as set forth in claim 10, said fingers each carrying'arms provided with rollers engaging. the contours of the cams; and the cam shaft for the fingers which support the base ends of the bottles being disposed at a lower level than the other cam shaft, whereby the bottles in thezstack and frame will always be disposed substantially horizontally.

14 In mechanism as 'set forth in claim 13, said shafts having oppositely pitched worm gears thereon; and said rota-ting means comprising an inclinednis'haft journaled in the frame above the Worm gears and having oppositely pitched worms thereon engaging the respective worm gears.

WILLIAM I. REILLY. 

